The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-07
Qhe Qnlltt'd:li;af'ttlGIlerr
wurl:LlNa, ". va, NOVEMBER !, 1887,


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Tho Western Ualon Telegraph Company.
The near approach oil tho next aosaion
OF CongreEH has started into lilo all sorts
OF talk about numerous bills that are to
be introduced which will have Tor their
object either the owning or controlling by
tho Government OF the te!eSrsphic bunl'
uess Of this country. For years past billa
to this end have been regularly intro
duced into Congress at each aesaion,
moetly, however, as was auepected.at the
timc, in tho Interest OF stock jobbers who
were "ahort" OF this stock, and lousht IN
this way TO break Ito price.
The time, however, the talk Of Gov
eminent action IN some direction wears o
moro serious air and an honester purpose.
This 10 duo to the excitement and scandal
that have followed the acquisition Of the
Baltimore 4 Ohio System by the Western
Union Company. II could not DO but
thata new spawn Of b!llsand schemes for
Government action would follow such
coup d. ttat IS this. II
Mr.. Garrett psotestu that he was swim
died out oil The Baltimore ( Ohio syatom,
but whether this Is true or not 10 not G
matter Of momont to tho public. It Is
whether the public ia to be the next vic
tim Of the. anacondcaa thst swallowed
him tina! ia tho pretsxt for The Govern.
mont protectorate that ia now advocated
by number otnewspspers and q number
Of Congressman. 4
II jay Gould did not own 6 nhare ci
telegrsphic stock ir the world, land he Is
the red reg in this bueiress) and II the
Western Union Company had not drop
OF water in its dropsical corporation. end
If tho Government could acquire all the
wives now in existence IL this country a,
their actual, cost rtill would 1t DO a start.
ling and alarming proposition 10 nut them
into the hands OF tho G Government.
Some people reason thet because the
Government ca-,ies tho mails It should
also do the telegraph business. II was q
leceasary evil early in the h!ptory Of the
Government TINT 1t should furnish the
people means OF communication. It ia
still necssaa.y evil. But for the GOV.
eminent the people in this spsrsely settled
regions would be deprived Of letters and
papers, 0. only served at ruiroua ratcs
All the people would euifar moro than
they rufler now under the present artsp %.
msnt from tho existence Of a swarm oil
office holderu, all OF whom a1a partissnool
tho party in power. Therefore 1t is a
nsc ,ssity, and yet ons TO be deprecated,
that the Government Las 10 engage in this
5 bus;neEs.
There ia happily l;mi. 10 this uccess.
lily, although the scclaliata tell us thst the
government should do pretty much al, OF
the business OF the county and thus give
every man q job in some department. Of
employment. There arc people who are
not socialissa who advocate that the pov.
erpnsrt should do the expseeo and rail.
road business OF the country IS we'll as
carry the mails and run the Telegraph
Offices. They point to England in the
matter Of telegraph.c ownership, and
renaon from her example that what is
good ios her would DO good for ua.
There Is wide difference hetveen
England and this country SO reupecta
Civil Service. We hsvs an almost purely
partisan ee,yice, while England has an
almost entirely non.partisan eeryice,
There ID no comparison between the
two, any moro than tLere Is between the
present siz, and population or the future
growth Of the two count,ieu.
However bad it is to have a monopoly
Of the telegraph buDlness by one or Two
companies, i. would be infinitely worse to
have the oliceholdors Of the Goye.pm ert
doubled on us--all partiaane, and ali in.
tent on serving the party first and the
public second. This would DO menace
against tho purity Of political ssntim mt
throughout the country. 1t would offer
premium for its dsbauchery. We bsva
enough of this danger clreadv a,d ,,..n
MANY pnna nanpla or, h.,;,.. = Il
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